In longest game in franchise history, Angels lose to Oakland 10-8 in 19 innings

OAKLAND-- If you left at the first pitch, you could have driven from Anaheim and caught the end of Monday night's Angels game in Oakland with time to spare.

Or you could have watched two full NFL games, 13 Seinfeld reruns, or flown halfway to Japan in the 6 hours and 37 minutes it took to complete the 19-inning 10-8 loss to the A's in front of what was left of a crowd of 11,668 Tuesday morning at O.co Coliseum.

Brandon Moss' two-run homer to right off former Pepperdine pitcher Barry Enright (0-1) ended what was the longest game was the longest in Angels franchise history., eclipsing a 6-hour, 6-minute contest against the Seattle Mariners that ended in 20 innings April 13,1982.

A slumping offense's emergence and a solid start by Tommy Hanson were afterthoughts in a game that was especially dispiriting even by the team's underachieving standards of this year after the Angels blew to leads with the A's down to their last at-bat.

The loss was the Angels' third straight and their sixth in eight games. Their 9-16 start ties a franchise record.

"You're always going to have your share of frustrating games in the course of a season," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "This one is extremely frustrating."

It was also costly.

Center fielder Peter Bourjos left the game with a pulled hamstring trying to beat out a bunt in the 11 th and was immediately put on the disabled list.

" It sucks to play this long tonight and come out on the wrong end," Bourjos said. "We have to turn it around tomorrow."

The Angels had a chance to close out the game in the 15 th, when J.B. Shuck drew a bases-loaded walk off Brett Anderson that scored Brendan Harris to break a 7-7 tie.

But the A's tied it when Adam Rosales singled in Derek Norris with two outs in the bottom of the 15 th off Jerome Williams.

That was the only run Williams allowed in a gutsy six-innings of four-hit ball.

It was the bullpen collapse earlier in the game that from an Angels standpoint was harder to swallow.

Trailing 7-2 going into the eighth, the A's batted around, scoring four runs on five hits and one walk in an inning in which Angels used four relievers.

The game started with Angels outfielder Josh Hamilton greeted with a hero's welcome in his first game in Oakland since his dropped fly ball allowed the winning runs to score in a game that cost the Texas Rangers the American League WestDivision title last season, with cowbells and cheers commemorating the superstar center fielder's blunder on the unofficial "Josh Hamilton Appreciation Night."

Hamilton, who's struggled since signing with the Angels as a free agent in the offseason, was a woeful 0 for 8, with a sacrifice fly, but a standout defensive play earlier in the game silenced his mock cheering section.

Hamilton made a diving catch in right on a Yoenis Cespedes line drive that easily would have scored Seth Smith from second with two outs in the bottom of the first.

After a four-game series in Seattle in which their vaunted offense was effectively silenced, the Angels got back on track in support of Hanson, who missed his last start after being put on the bereavement list.

The Angels 2-3-4-5 combination of Mike Trout, Albert Pujols, Hamilton and Trumbo were a combined for 8 for 32 with three homers, seven RBI, five runs scored and two walks - a big improvement after Trout, Pujols and Hamilton were a combined 0 for 12 in Sunday's 2-1 loss to Seattle.

Pujols had four hits with two home runs and three RBI.

Scioscia acknowledged before Monday's game that Hanson, who was activated Sunday after the death of a close family member, was going through "a tough time right now," but was hopeful that returning to the mound offered therapeutic value.

"I think anytime you're doing something you have a passion for and you love it's therapeutic for all of us," Scioscia said. "Hopefully it'll help Tommy get through some of the things he's dealing with in his personal life and he'll come out here and move forward."